Meet Laura Eavenson | Custom Picture Framer & Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Eavenson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Our small business is unique, in that it has been around since 1970! Originally called House of 10,000 Frames and started by Lee Hendrix, it remained family owned as Lee’s daughter, Pam, and her husband Bruce Barker, later purchased the business and owned it until the end of 2022.

All that to say, my wife Nikki and I can’t take credit for starting this business. I was fortunate enough to get a job working at Athens Art & Frame in 2015. Over the years, I learned a lot about framing from design and sales to production. I was promoted to manager in 2020 and learned even more about the business from Bruce Barker. During my two years as the manager, my wife and I both got our Masters in Business Administration from Piedmont University.

I came to love framing and working for such a unique small business more and more each year. After two years as the manager, Bruce and Pam approached me about purchasing the business. Nikki and I had casually discussed the possibility, but never dreamed it might actually happen! We discussed it at length with each other before deciding we were ready for the challenge and rewards of taking on a small business.

It was a long road, but thanks to guidance from Bruce and a lot of planning and support, Nikki and I closed on the business and officially became the owners December 30, 2022.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Athens Art & Frame is primarily a custom framing business and photo center. That means we are primarily creating frame designs for customers using custom cut mats, mouldings and other details to ensure every piece is correctly and beautifully represented! That could mean framing anything from an original painting, a poster, diploma, a jersey…almost anything you could think to bring in! In the photo center we offer printing, scanning and digital photo restoration and editing services to give you the best possible photo prints. We also have a storefront where we display and sell local art, prints, high quality photo frames and unique gifts.

Part of what sets our business apart is its longevity in the community. The custom framing part of the business has been around since 1970, which is an amazing thing for any small business! We emphasize quality work and long-term customer relationships. Many of our customers have been entrusting us with their treasures for several years. We are also the only local business that offers the variety of in-house photo services that we do. All this and more have solidified us as a unique and creative business in the Athens community.

Of course, the journey here has not always been easy. Any business that has been around this long has had to go through ups and downs in the economy, the pandemic and anything else life can throw. However, my part in the business has been fortunate because I was able to come into it in its mature stage and avoid a lot of the turmoil and growing pains that can plague a new start-up business. I have learned that, no matter how much you prepare, you can’t anticipate everything so it’s best to stay flexible and expect to be surprised.

I am sure there will always be new challenges to face, but I am so proud to be a part of the Athens Art & Frame legacy, and to be a queer woman business owner!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since our business is in Athens, GA there is no shortage of cool things to do! We would HAVE to get breakfast at Mama’s Boy. That would put us in the perfect spot to do one of my favorite things in Athens – biking on the Oconee River Greenway! Any opportunity to spend time in some of the local green spaces is a treat, so we might also check out Bear Hollow zoo and Sandy Creek park and Nature Center.

I would insist that we eat at some of my favorite spots, like The Place, Trappeze and Seabear.

We could spend an afternoon at the Georgia Museum of Art or head downtown for some coffee or a drink at Hendershots. There is always something to do, like live music at the 40 Watt or the Georgia Theatre, or a show at the Morton!

It’s hard to think of all the great places around town, but there would be more than enough to fill a week!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have often said, when asked about how we got to the point of owning Athens Art & Frame, that part of it was hard work on our parts, but so much of it was luck and support from others! It would be impossible to single out every person that played a role in our journey here, but I have to thank my wife for her constant support and for taking the plunge to co-own the business with me! Of course a big shout out would go to my dad, Randy Eavenson, and Nikki’s mom, Becky Blanchard, for everything they have done to support our journey. Finally, Bruce and Pam Barker, previous owners of Athens Art & Frame, for not only creating such an amazing and unique local business but for entrusting me with it moving forward. Our path to business ownership is studded with so many incredible folks!

Website: AthensArtandFrame.com

Instagram: athensartandframe